When scoping out places to retire, general affordability is key. But look beyond how much it will cost to rent or buy a home or order a three-course meal. Take the matter of taxes, for example.

Yes, it’s still a music mecca, but retirees can also find lots of ethnic dining, thanks to a recent influx of immigrants, a large number of parks with 17.8 acres of open space per 1,000 residents and plenty of learning opportunities at the cluster of colleges in Music City.

Housing is varied, ranging from loft condos in downtown to Victorians and Craftsman in East Nashville to brightly painted stucco homes from the ’30s and ’40s in Little Hollywood. Buttressing all these charms, Tennessee has one of the lowest tax burdens in the country.

Tennessee and Nashville continue to be attractive places for small businesses, with the Volunteer State pushing into the Top 10 nationwide, according to a national survey, and Nashville maintained its “A” grade in 2014, the 9th best among 82 cities throughout the U.S.

For the 11th year, POLICOM Corporation, an independent research firm that specializes in analyzing local and state economies, has released its economic strength rankings, which rate 381 U.S. metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) on factors such as per capita income and wage growth. Nashville ranked fifth.

Home sales in the Nashville area were up 15.9 percent in September compared to a year ago, according to recent figures released by the Greater Nashville Association of Realtors. This comes as no surprise because Nashville home sales have increased month-by-month for over two years now!

At The Lipman Group Sotheby’s International Realty, our agents have found themselves in multiple-offer situations, due to low inventory. Inventory remains down, but at a healthy market level with a slightly over 6-month supply. Also, a recent report from CoreLogic reveals that foreclosure inventory is also down on a national level.

What does all of this mean? Nashville is now in a seller’s market. All signs indicate Nashville’s real estate market is one of the fastest-growing and successful in the country.

If you are thinking about buying or selling your home in Nashville, please let one of our expert realtors at The Lipman Group Sotheby’s International Realty assist you. Contact us at 615-463-3333 or stop by our office at 2002 Richard Jones Road, Suite C-104; Nashville 37215.

If you or someone you know is moving to Nashville from another city, they may be looking for resources to make their transition easier. The real estate options are endless and their picture perfect community just may be located right here in Nashville. Our Where to Live blog posts introduce them to different communities and neighborhoods that span across and beyond our great city. Links to each neighborhood profile are easy to find in the blog sidebar to the right.

Transferees moving to Nashville also get to take advantage of our helpful relocation guide created by The Lipman Group Sotheby’s International Realty. The relocation guide is an invaluable resource for anyone moving to Nashville.

Looking for some professional guidance about the sale of your current home, or the purchase of your next one? Please let one of our expert realtors at The Lipman Group Sotheby’s International Realty assist you.

Germantown is a neighborhood of Nashville located just north of downtown. Founded as the city’s first suburb in the mid-nineteenth century, the eighteen-square block area is bounded by Jefferson Street on the south, Hume Street on the north, Rosa Parks Boulevard on the west and 3rd Avenue N on the east.

Germantown is located next to the Bicentennial Mall Park and the Nashville Farmers Market, providing an exquisite view of the state capitol. Photo Credit: Josh Reeder for HistoricGermantown.org

Placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979, Germantown contains a diversity of architecture including buildings erected between 1830 and the present. With a significant concentration of Victorian buildings in the area restored, the neighborhood has an old-world charm. The community takes great pride in the area and features a forum on its website for members’ use.

Nashville, our great city, seems to have gone viral. The bright lights of Music City appear on TV screens (in the form of the popular TV show) and have also recently filled the pages of national news publications. The New York Times called us “the nation’s ‘it’ city.” CNN, The New York Post, and Forbes have all covered the rise of Nashville.

Couple this excellent visibility with Nashville’s positive economic climate and you find a Nashville real estate market that is so hot right now. Inventory continues to drop and the number of sales continue to increase, resulting in price increases. In fact, the number of home sales have increased for 24 consecutive months now!

Here Today, Gone Tomorrow

The number of days homes are on the market has decreased to just 70, the lowest time on the market since October 2007.

How Low Can it Go?

Inventory is very low, with only about a 5-month supply overall and slightly less than a 4-month supply for single family homes.

We were thrilled to have our very own Larry Lipman included in a feature article on the front page of the Real Estate section in The Tennessean this past Sunday. Larry has been a realtor and broker in Nashville for 24 years and is unsurpassed in the service he offers his clients.

In the current Nashville real estate market, homes are selling quickly and there is much more to consider than just a home, especially if you are relocating to Nashville. Larry and all of our agents at The Lipman Group Sotheby’s International Realty continue to educate themselves on everything from what is happening in different areas of Nashville, schools, quality contractors, and who might be willing to sell, but hasn’t listed yet. Clients need to be educated on more than just what a particular house has to offer.

Inventory continues to be low and there is an abundance of people moving up, downsizing and relocating to Nashville. It can be difficult to find the perfect home so it is imperative agents stay abreast of what is happening in the market to help their clients make an informed, speedy decision when they find a home and neighborhood they like. According to Larry, “If you wait too long, it won’t be there.” We have certainly seen this happen so we want to stay on top of things and offer clients everything we can.